✷Chapter One✷
"Have you lost your mind!" Teresa couldn't control herself from almost yelling the whole restaurant down, after almost chocking on her red wine.
"Just think about it." Gideon, her best friend since childhood gave her one of his pity glare he knew she couldn't resist. His emerald green eyes locked on her plain brown ones.
"Are you insane? Do you know what you're asking for?" She questioned him, lean towards him to whisper the words, since she had managed attracting attention to their table earlier.
A look of frustration appeared on Gideon's face as his finger found way to his raven black hair, completely destroying his perfectly combed hair. A habit he was fond of when thing weren't exactly going the way he planned. Not that doing so ruined his look, it did nothing more but made him appear more attractive.
Not that she would admit it to him. Such words will only make his huge ego grow bigger. Not when she was already doing a better job in deflating it.
Taking a bite on her cutted steak, she took the moment in savouring the grateful burst of flavour. Perfect! She almost moan out. Choosing to ignore him word.
"I'll take what you just suggested as a joke." She took another bite, while glancing at him. "Stop giving me that gloomy look."
"I'm anything but joking."
She paused staring at him for a moment before shrugging, "Sorry then, I can't help you. The last thing I'll want in my life now is complications, my boss is killing me already with heavy loads of work. So count me out, I'm sorry." She mumbled, giving him a sympathetic look.
"Come on Teresa can't you just do me this small little favour. For your best friend?"
"No." She remained adamant, "don't you have those skinny leg girlfriends to help you out? This isn't like you?"
"I can't ask them for that. You know there always want more. And I never do more." He pleaded, leaning towards the table between them, stretching his right hand to grip hers.
Teresa forced a smile on her face, still finding herself saying. "No."
Letting out a sigh, he realized her hand from his, slinging himself backwards on his seat. "Daniel is dying." He blunt out, completely catching Teresa off guard.
A horrified look appeared on Teresa's face at Gideon's word. "What?"
"Earlier last week, I got a call from Jacob. He got a call from the doctor concerning Daniel's monthly check up report. Apparently he has a weak heart. And since hearing his report Daniel has been bothering both Jacob and I to get settled down. Somehow the old devil found a way into cunning me to blunt out I was engaged." He's eyes distant as he narrates, the sad news.
Teresa knows how much Daniel Snow, David's grandfather meant to the family. From what Teresa knew about grandpa Daniel, he was the most selfless man she ever knew. So Teresa kind of understand why Gideon felt the need not to disappoint him.
The cool light restaurant seem to dim a little, as if sensing Teresa's sad mood, the atmosphere cried a silent cry with her. Suddenly the whole room felt cold, every single being in the room disappeared.
Daniel was like her very own grandfather. Hearing this news felt like her air was been cut off short in shock. Far more shocking than Gideon unexpected proposal.
Shaking her head, Teresa spoke. "I still don't get why you're still insisting on me." She said softly his time around. "Why a fake engagement, wouldn't that break his heart even more when he finds out? Gideon the last thing I'd want is causing more distress to Daniel, because lies like this wouldn't be hidden for long."
Gideon groan, raising his hands to comb it through his hair again. "I know. I just happen to accidentally throw in that I was engaged to you."
Teresa swore her eyes almost bulge out from her head. "You kidding? Tell me you are?"
"I wish I could say so. But I'll only be lying to you." He sigh again, but this time he held a desperate look on his face. "Please do this for me. It'll mean the world. I don't want to be the one going alone without a fiancee next week. Jacob is bringing his girlfriend along, and there's nothing I'll hate but to see his smugging face when he realized I had lied. Please do this for me."
At the name of Jacob, her ears perk up in interest and curiosity. "Jacob is coming? More of the whole reasons I won't agree to this proposal of yours."
Gideon raised his left eyebrow. "And the other reasons?"
Staring at his in bewilderment, Teresa spread her arms wide in gesture. "Your grandfather of course. You're asking me to lie to him. And that's the last thing I'll ever want to do to him. Lie." She pointed out.
Gideon kept quite, only keeping his gaze on her, as if thinking or studying her. But as far as Teresa's concern there's nothing about her that Gideon doesn't know.
The silence in their table stretched. Teresa wonders if he had finally seen reasons with her. Maybe he had come to his senses. She let out a sigh of relief, as the soft music playing in the restaurant found way to her ear since Gideon practically threw a bomb on her.
But the next word from Gideon proved otherwise. "Chicken." He mocked her.
Teresa mouth wide in gasp. "What? Did you just call me chicken? How dare you?"
He shrugged, "you're a chicken. I mean your resolves were giving in when you heard about Daniel's health, but immediately went high at the name of Jacob." He smirk, while taking a sip from his wine glass.
Teresa saw red. She knew what he was doing, and she hated it. She hated it because she was falling for it. Teresa has a long list of sore spot, and Jacob happened to be one of them.
She hated people believing she still had concerns when Jacob was involved.
"It's been years since I last saw Jacob. While will anything about him still bother me?" She asked through clenched teeth.
Still smirking he placed his wine glass down, linking his fingers together. "Well, for starters I fear the glass in your hands are about cracking with how tight your grip is. And also your face don't lie."
Coming to her senses, she dropped the glass on the table. "Then sorry to break it to you. I'm still not interested. My boss happens to be an ass." She commented, narrowing her eye at Gideon. Which earned a laughter from him.
"Yeah, I deserved that. Come on, I'll relieve you from work for one week, while we are in Daniel's place." He said, with a real smile on his face that touchs his eyes.
Having Gideon as her boss, has been both easy and hard. Easy on the side, that he gives her free lunch, sometimes free rides. On the other hard side, he loves calling out her name anytime things gets complicated. Working in his software company as a computer operator can sometimes me hard. And at time she wish to throw her resignation letter on his face on the days her keeps her very late at the office. Not that she hasn't try resigning, she did. But Gideon never took her serious. And on that part she was grateful he never did, because as soon as her temper calms down her senses collects together. The last thing she'd want is leaving her job. She loves it no matter how stressful it is.
On the topic at hand. She glanced at Gideon. "And after that one week?"
Gideon's smile turned to a grin. "We will go back to our normal life. And I'll break it to Daniel two months after our visit that we didn't work out, that we are more better at being friends than couples."
"Won't that break his heart even more?"
He flips her off. "By then I'd already found someone to take your part. And this time around, longer."
Teresa shakes her head at his word. What was wrong with men and commitment? "I don't get why you won't just be in a real relationship when that time comes. I mean there are lots of decent girls out there, can't you try?"
"No, no. Commitment isn't my thing. I prefer being free." He whispered to her, again with his smirk.
After a minute of thinking, she inhale a deep breath before realizing. "Okay. I'm in." She stretched her hand for a handshake, which he took immediately. Her grip tightened his, giving his a pointed glare, "and no funny business? Understand?"
He smiled, crossing his heart with his free hand. "I swear no funny business."
Letting go of his hand she smiled at him. "Now can we eat in peace?"
"Yeah. Please do."
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